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Are the Cardinals Handling Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter Correctly?

Pat LackeyPosted Aug 19th 2008 7:35PM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central, MLB Injuries

For most of this season, the Cardinals have been waiting on the return of their aces, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, to the rotation. Carp came back a couple weeks ago but was quickly sidelined with trouble in his pitching shoulder. With Carpenter back, the Cards had planned on hurrying Adam Wainwright back into the bullpen for the rest of year. Now that plan is in doubt with Carpenter's return in doubt.

Here's the rub: Wainwright has looked very good in rehab since getting straightened out after a bad first start. He struck out seven batters in less than five innings on Saturday and his injury was a finger injury, which means that there's little concern over him re-injuring a shoulder or elbow in a hurried comeback. Given how well he pitched in the rotation both last year and this year, isn't he the guy the Cardinals should want in the rotation?

By the same token, doesn't the older pitcher coming off of Tommy John surgery with shoulder trouble seem like the one that should be headed to the bullpen? This might all be a moot point if Carpenter's injury is serious enough to make him miss time, because Wainwright will definitely head to the rotation in that case. The Cardinals are going to need as many innings out of Wainwright as they can get if they want to catch the Brewers. That means putting him in the rotation is the only logical answer.

Chris Carpenter Is Going to the Doctor

Pat LackeyPosted Aug 12th 2008 12:28PM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central, MLB Injuries

With a slowly widening deficit in the NL Wild Card race, it seems like the Cardinals' pesky contention might finally be coming to an end. This is at least the 10th time I've written that this year, but with a three game deficit in mid-August, things are looking bleaker. Even bleaker still? Chris Carpenter left his start early on Sunday with elbow pain and needs to see a doctor. It doesn't seem serious, but the Cardinals would rather be careful. From the St. Louis Post Dispatch:
"We felt, given the history Carpenter has had with George, and what's at stake with him being just back from (elbow surgery), this just made the most sense," general manager John Mozeliak said. "Nobody knows Carp better than Carp, but a close second would be Dr. Paletta."


"We want to avoid this becoming a major setback in any way," Mozeliak continued. "Better to be precautionary."
If Carpenter has to miss more than a start or two, would this affect the Cards' plan of bringing Adam Wainwright back in the bullpen? I don't actually know the answer to that question, but it's worth thinking about. It seems pretty certain that Carp will miss his next scheduled start, from there it's all up in the air. If the Cardinals are indeed just being cautious and this is routine post Tommy John surgery soreness, he could be back early next week.

On Deck: Brewers Brawling and Falling

Tom FornelliPosted Aug 5th 2008 2:25PM by Tom Fornelli (author feed)
Filed under: Brewers, Cardinals, Dodgers, Indians, Rays, Reds

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On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing matchups

Do you remember last year when the Milwaukee Brewers jumped out to a big lead in the NL Central, but then began fading as the season wore on? A lot of the blame for this collapse was placed on the front office not making any moves at the trade deadline by the team's fans. So as a response to such criticism last season, the Brewers went out and made a couple of moves this season.

The biggest one (both literally and figuratively) of course being the addition of CC Sabathia to the starting rotation.

Well, they may have a new philosophy, but unfortunately for the citizens of Milwaukee, they're still the same old Brewers. After climbing to within a game of the Chicago Cubs last week, the Brew Crew had a pivotal four-game series with their divison rivals in their home park. Instead of taking advantage of the opportunity, the Brewers collapsed under the pressure and before they knew it, they were being swept out of their own park.

Now Milwaukee has lost eight of it's last eleven games, and have fallen five games back of Chicago. Instead of working together to fight through this slump and beat the other team, they've begun fighting amongst themselves.

Can the Brewers get their act together tonight, or are they doomed to another late season fade? Find out after the jump.
Continue Reading On Deck: Brewers Brawling and Falling

The Cardinals Get Good News and Bad News About Their Rotation

Pat LackeyPosted Jul 30th 2008 11:46AM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central, MLB Injuries

For the first time since Opening Day 2007, Chris Carpenter is starting for the Cardinals tonight. That's the good news. He's on a pretty strict pitch count (80-85) and he's only made two rehab starts, but he's still Chris Carpenter and even while he's rounding into form there's a good chance he's going to be better than the alternatives that the Cardinals have at the moment. John Mozeliak thinks he's better than anyone the Cardinals might acquire at the deadline and he might be right.

The bad news is about the guy that assumed Carpenter's spot as the ace in St. Louis' staff. Adam Wainwright threw a bullpen session yesterday and was described as having thrown "about eight strikes." It doesn't say how many pitches he threw, but it's implied that it was probably more than ten, which makes the eight strikes not very impressive. The ugly session means no rehab starts for at least a week, which places his return somewhere from mid to late August.

This is all important because somehow, the Cardinals are still only four games behind the Cubs in the NL Central and one behind the Brewers for the Wild Card. It seemed like they were fading after five straight losses last week, but they've won three of four since then to stay in contention. Since they get to add two aces back to their staff, counting them out seems like a bad idea.

Rumor Mill Roundup: July 28

Andrew JohnsonPosted Jul 28th 2008 5:54PM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Mariners, Mets, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Rumors

With the trade deadline right around the corner, our MLB editor brings you the top five rumors every day until July 31.

- The Blue Jays are back above the .500 mark and might not even be willing to deal right-handed pitcher A.J. Burnett at this point, but if they decide to move him, the Cardinals remain the most likely destination. Burnett, an Arkansas native, grew up rooting for St. Louis and Tony La Russa's club could use a pitching upgrade, particularly following Milwaukee's acquisition of CC Sabathia and Chicago's acquisition of Rich Harden.


For now, GM John Mozeliak appears resolved to wait and see what the rehabbing Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter can provide and pursue relief help. Still, it's hard not to wonder about Burnett, particularly as the Cardinals muse about converting Wainwright back to relief for the remainder of the season. Wouldn't St. Louis look a lot tougher to beat if on Aug. 1 Burnett was in the rotation and Wainwright was closing out games as he did when the Cardinals won the World Series in 2006?

- Other than the Rockies, the Braves have been the toughest team to figure out over the last few weeks as they vacillate between punting the season and going for it in the NL East. Even as they move closer and closer to dumping Mark Teixeira, the team has apparently been working on a deal for Pittsburgh's Jason Bay, which was only nixed when Pirates' ownership stepped into the fray. Bay has long been thought to be the Bucs' best trade chip, but that's made the price tag too steep for many clubs. Still, Atlanta was close to dealing a package of four prospects, including Brent Lillibridge and Brandon Jones, for the left fielder. For a team like the Braves, with little hope of contending this year, that might seem strange, but Atlanta expects to be back in the hunt in 2009 and Bay is already under contract for next season.
Continue Reading Rumor Mill Roundup: July 28

Rumor Mill Roundup: July 27

Andrew JohnsonPosted Jul 27th 2008 3:50PM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Braves, Cardinals, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, Twins, Yankees, MLB Rumors

With the trade deadline right around the corner, our MLB editor brings you the top five rumors every day until July 31.

- The elephant in the room four days from the trade deadline is Manny Ramirez, who once again is on shaky ground in Boston. In a perfect world, the Red Sox would love to rid themselves of the near-constant headache that Ramirez provides. In practice, they are still very much in the hunt for their third World Series in five years and would need to replace his production in step with any deal. That makes the completion of any trade unlikely in the next few days.

Joel Sherman and Mike Puma of the New York Post run down the potential list of suitors for Ramirez, and because of Boston's desire to ship him out of the American League, it is a very short one. The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Mets and Phillies are the teams with both the need and the financial wherewithal to pick up the tab for Ramirez's $20 million deal. Because the left fielder has 10-5 rights (10 years in the league, five with the same team) he can veto any deal the Red Sox put together. That leads Sherman and Puma to conclude that Ramirez would only accept a deal to Philadelphia, where he would be reunited with manager Charlie Manuel, who was his hitting coach in Cleveland.

- And what of the Rays? The Yankees have gotten stronger already, and could add Jarrod Washburn or another pitcher at any moment. The Red Sox are embroiled in the latest Manny drama, but are more likely to improve from within. Tampa Bay has been pretty quiet, but they are out there looking for upgrades in the form of a right-handed outfield bat and bullpen depth. With Xavier Nady and Casey Blake off the market, the team may look internally for a right-handed bat, with the rehabbing Rocco Baldelli a possibility. That leaves the club looking to trade for a left-handed reliever with Brian Fuentes at the top of the Rays' list, with Arthur Rhodes, Jack Taschner, Will Ohman and Ron Mahay as backup options.
Continue Reading Rumor Mill Roundup: July 27

On Deck: Chasing the Cubs

Tom FornelliPosted Jul 21st 2008 5:56PM by Tom Fornelli (author feed)
Filed under: Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Twins, Yankees



On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

Since the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs are the two teams in the NL Central making all the moves, most people have begun writing off the St. Louis Cardinals as division contenders. It's pretty hard to blame anyone for feeling this way. After all, in recent weeks the Brewers have added an ace to their starting rotation in CC Sabathia, and just yesterday they added some infield depth when they picked up Ray Durham from the Giants.

I don't expect the Durham trade to be Milwaukee's last play, either.

Meanwhile, the Cubs have added Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to their pitching staff, and there's talk they're thinking of adding someone like A.J. Burnett to the rotation, and Brian Fuentes or Huston Street to the bullpen.

The Cardinals? Well, for the most part they're just crossing their fingers that Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright can return in August and provide a boost to the ballclub. The problem with this approach is that the Redbirds may very well find themselves out of the race by then if they sit on their hands. That's why every game right now is important for the Cardinals, and the four game set they're about to begin with the Brewers tonight is huge.
Continue Reading On Deck: Chasing the Cubs

Rumor Mill Roundup: July 21

Andrew JohnsonPosted Jul 21st 2008 4:22PM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Cardinals, Cubs, Mets, Red Sox, Tigers, MLB Rumors

With the trade deadline right around the corner, our MLB editor brings you the top five rumors every day until July 31.

- The Mets have no idea what to expect from Ryan Church the rest of the way and the Fernando Tatis-Endy Chavez combination in left field probably isn't going to cut, so everyone, including manager Jerry Manuel, is expecting the team to add an outfielder before the trade deadline. Just don't expect that outfielder to be of the Adam Dunn or Matt Holliday variety -- they just don't have the chips. New York has one of the shallowest farm systems in baseball as a consequence of the Johan Santana trade, particularly in the coveted major-league ready category.

That leaves the Mets looking at players like Xavier Nady, Raul Ibanez and Casey Blake, which really is fine. They need an upgrade on what they currently have in left field and some insurance for their injured right fielder to win the NL East, not a star player.

- The Cubs have already added starter Rich Harden and reliever Chad Gaudin, but they're still looking for pitching. A high-ranking team official took in A.J. Burnett's last start for the Blue Jays. A looming DL trip for closer Kerry Wood could change the team's focus, though. Wood's injury is not believed to be serious, but the team's bullpen was heavily taxed over the first half, and now they're down their best arm. Suddenly Damaso Marte, Brian Fuentes and Huston Street have to be looking pretty good to GM Jim Hendry.
Continue Reading Rumor Mill Roundup: July 21

Chris Carpenter Is Rehabbing

Pat LackeyPosted Jul 18th 2008 8:37AM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central, MLB Injuries

With the Cubs, Brewers, and Phillies, all teams that the Cardinals may be competing with for a playoff spot, adding arms for a stretch run, the Cardinals are suddenly losing theoretical ground in the standings, even if their records says they're keeping pace. It's possible that they'll stay right in the race without a roster upgrade, but it just seems unlikely at this point. Fortunately for them, they do get to add a former Cy Young winner to their staff in the next few weeks. Chris Carpenter will be making a rehab start this week and the Cardinals hope to have him back within a month:
Pitching coach Dave Duncan does not expect Carpenter to take all 30 days available to him.

"I hope not," Duncan said. "What you do is you watch the steps that he's taking. ... You evaluate him as he goes."
It's hard to predict what Carp is going to be like having only made one start since the 2006 World Series, but Tommy John surgery is something that pitchers bounce back from pretty routinely these days. Most of the Cardinals' patch-work rotation has been turning in ugly starts of late (Kyle Lohse excepted) and Carpenter should provide an upgrade over what they're working with now. Still, counting on him to be the Carp of 2005 and 2006 is a lot and thinking he'll provide the boost that CC Sabathia and Rich Harden are capable of is expecting a lot. That's what Adam Wainwright's return is for.

Tony LaRussa Wants Some Help

Tom FornelliPosted Jul 10th 2008 4:56PM by Tom Fornelli (author feed)
Filed under: Cardinals, NL Central, MLB Gossip, MLB Transactions

With both the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs adding top of the rotation pitchers this week, it made you wonder what, if any, response the St. Louis Cardinals would have. After all, they're sandwiched between both teams right now in the NL Central and are currently atop the Wild Card standings. Well, even so, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak has come out and said he doesn't think the Redbirds need to make any additions to their current roster.

Mozeliak is of the opinion that when Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright both return in August, it will have the same effect as adding a pitcher through a trade would on the team. It's too bad that his manager Tony LaRussa is of a completely different opinion.
"The difference is this is July 9 and those guys (Sabathia, Harden and Gaudin) are here now. You're looking at health (for Carpenter and Wainwright) in August," La Russa said. "That's a big edge to have the help now. I don't get comforted by the fact we may have guys coming back later.

"In my mind, if you didn't have expectations and you were (lousy) July 1, it's a wash. But whether you had expectations or you didn't, when you get to July 1 like we have, then I believe since you play the year you're playing and don't take anything for granted, your goal should be to improve your chance to win right now."
I can understand Tony's urgency as he's never been the type of manager who'd be content just playing for third place in his division, but at the same time, I'm not exactly sure what the Cardinals can do. While it would be nice to add another starter to their rotation, the team does have other more pressing needs, like a lefty out of the bullpen.

Instead of making a big splash move, the Cardinals would probably be better off adding a smaller name pitcher to the rotation before the deadline (like an Adam Eaton) and let Dave Duncan work the magic he's used on a bunch of other pitchers to get him straightened out.
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